The 2019-2020 school year will officially start one week earlier than usual for students in the Sharyland school district.

During Monday’s school board meeting, trustees approved a plan for the district to receive a District of Innovation designation to exempt them from starting school in the fourth week of August as state law requires.

“It’s a great benefit for our students as they will now have instructional time in the fall,” Carolyn Mendiola, the district’s assistant superintendent for student services and community relations. “Five more days of instruction will make all the difference for students."

The Sharyland ISD Board of Trustees voted to have one of their own committees look into the possibility of receiving an exemption from the state to begin school earlier than state law requires.

At their Monday meeting, school board trustees held a hearing to discuss the benefits of receiving a District of Innovation designation.

The District of Innovation designation was created by the Texas Legislature in 2015 as a way to give independent school districts some of the flexibility that charters schools have under state law, according to the Texas Education Agency website.